FAA Revokes Pilot Licenses After Midair Plane Swap Stunt. See Why.
Pilots who tried to swap planes in midair have been grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration. (Check out the videos below.)
The FAA announced that it revoked the pilot licenses of daredevils Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington for their recklessness in the unauthorized Red Bull-sponsored stunt, USA Today reported Thursday. Hulu livestreamed it on April 24.
The thrill-seeking cousins attempted to fly their planes to 12,000 feet and then skydive to swap their plummeting aircraft and land them.
Aikins accomplished the challenge, but Farrington missed. He deployed his parachute and landed safely while the plane he was supposed to jump into crashed into the desert floor in Eloy, Arizona.
Aikins acknowledged on Instagram last month that the FAA had rejected his request to allow the stunt, but he went ahead with it anyway without telling his team.
A Red Bull spokesperson told The New York Times the matter was between the pilots and the FAA. The paper couldn’t reach either pilot.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
